District councillors blame time limitations, elections for lack of finished projects
Three months before the end of a HK$32 million pilot scheme to give district councillors more power to manage regional facilities, only one minor project has been completed: a green avenue along Choi Hung Road in Wong Tai Sin.
The government announced last September that four district councils - Wan Chai, Sai Kung, Wong Tai Sin and Tuen Mun - had been selected for the one-year scheme.
It will extend to 18 districts next year at a cost of HK$300 million a year.
The Wong Tai Sin project involves lining footpaths on Choi Hung Road with flowers and greenery. There is also an improvement project under way near the Lok Fu MTR station.
The four district councils and a legislator shared common concerns over the pilot scheme: the time allowed was too short and coincided with district council elections in November, which undermined the effectiveness of the project.